Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam May 16 1965 Conflagration / Fire

As far as I know this is the first time this video has been made readily available to the GP when I posted this on Youtube. ;)

This was one of the largest base fires in the US History. It would have been much larger if emergency crews didn't respond so fast.

As far as I know this is the first time this video has been made readily available to the GP when I posted this on Youtube. ;)Fire at Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam May 16, 1965, explosions and cleanup (FOD patrol).

This was mishap was investigated and determined to be accidental

"Large numbers of USAF strike aircraft were sent to bases where pavement for aircraft parking was at a premium. Aircraft were parked wing tip to wing tip, vulnerable to an accidental explosion or enemy attack. A need for aircraft revetments was dramatically brought home on 16 May 1965 when the explosion of a bomb under the wing of a loaded B-57 aircraft set off a chain reaction of explosions on the parking apron at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam. Forty aircraft were destroyed, 26 Americans killed, and over 60 wounded."
http://www.vspa.com/bien-hoa-godfrey-b57-explosion-1965.htm

"On May 16, 1965, while waiting to takeoff on a mission, a B-57B exploded on the ground at Bien Hoa, setting off a whole chain of secondary explosions. The resulting conflagration destroyed ten B-57s, eleven VNAF A-1H Skyraiders, and a US Navy F-8 Crusader. The surviving B-57s were transferred to Tan Son Nhut and continued to fly sorties on a reduced scale until the losses could be made good. Some B-57Bs had to be transferred to Vietnam from the Air National Guard, and 12 B-57Es had to be withdrawn from target-towing duties and reconfigured as bombers to make good these losses."

http://kalaniosullivan.com/KunsanAB/OtherUnits/Howitwasb_a.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Fire
• Mishap
• USAF
• Safety
• Explosion
• Airplanes
• Emergency
• Conflagration
• Bien
• Hoa
• Air
• Base
• Vietnam
• 1965
• A-1
• Skyraider
• B-57

[rockangel1967]

i heard that they lost also two F18 and a apache helicopter then.

[ATFSCrash]

rockangel1967: What the heck are you talking about? Are you trying to tell me that someone claimed that 2 F-18 hornets and an Apache were destroyed in this mishap? Whom did you hear it from? An inebriated Fascist Liberal? The F-18 had not even reached the drawing board on the date of this mishap. The Apache wasn't even proposed until years after this mishap.

[dizzy0056]

my oldest brother served 2 stints at Bien Hoa AFB from 1964-68 and was there during this particular rocket attack, he lost many of his buddies and he was never the same after returning home in 68. His name: Sgt Michael W Dismuke, my understanding he loaded rockets on Hueys and bombs on planes. From his letters, they rocketed that base nearly every night. He died yesterday taking his own life at 62, so maybe he really is in a much better place. Thank you so much for posting this.

[ATFSCrash]

dizzy0056: Allegedly this mishap was not found to be from enemy fire. I think the base was fired on many times, but not the day of this mishap. I think this mishap was found to be a bomb prematurely detonated. I think it was a handling error. (Not from enemy fire).

[jaflaskey]

My dad was in that first plane that exploded. He was much loved and we miss him still.

[BobGV]

5 Sep 2009 Just saw this video for the first time today and did not know it existed. I was USAF and attached to the 34th TAC group and was a firefighter with the crash rescue unit on base. I left in just before Christmas in 1964 but a number of my friends were there during the conflagration. Years later, I didn't see any familiar names on "The Wall" for that night so I guess they all made it thru. It was great to see the old O-11A crash trucks in action again. Memories...mostly good ones.

[bobswire]

I had just gotten off security duty half an hour before all hell blew loose. 34th APS. It is amazing after searching for information on this event for over 40 years it finally surfaces on youtube.

[jebrraka]

I was there that day. About a dozen B-57's loaded and ready for a morning takeoff in the alert area. the 1st one had a malfunction in its starting system which resulted in it exploding and each of the others going up and throwing off their bombs all over the place. A rubber bladder of jet fuel also detonated and was flowing down the taxiway. Lost about 30 folks and about the same number of planes, B-57's, A1E's and H's and a Navy F8.

[petcherb]

The A1e was a two seater with space for two more in the blue room the A1h was the single seater

[petcherb]

I was there on that day. I was aSuper Spad mech and you are right it was a accident from a B57. We were shocked at first then ran like hell for the bunkers. Hot bombs were set off for days after

[TheNorthtexan]

B-57s were jet engined,, no props that I saw. I was there and my buddies loaded the bombs and such.

[twobazzar]

I think your wrong...it was four F14 TOMCATS three F18 hornets and two F22 RAPTORS....LOL

[cyberarmy007]

Ugly business !!!